Al Qaeda on Israel's Doorstep as Syrian Rebels Take Golan Crossing

An Al Qaeda-linked Syrian rebel group seized control of the Quneitra Crossing between Israel and Syria on Wednesday.

Israeli authorities ordered farmers and other civilians in the northeastern part of the Golan Heights to evacuate earlier in the day, as Syrian government forces battled the Al-Nusra Front near the border region.

As the fighting raged, a number of mortar shells landed in Israel, and wayward gunfire from Syria wounded an Israeli army officer. The IDF responded with targeted artillery fire.

The Al-Nusra Front has repeatedly acknowledged its allegiance to Al Qaeda. At one point, al-Nusra was working together with the Islamic State (formerly ISIS), but the two groups later began fighting one another when Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi tried to force a merger.

PHOTO: Mortar shells from Syria land in Israel’s Golan Heights, as Syrian government forces battle Al Qaeda-linked jihadists just across the border.

Want more news from Israel?Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates